Third-rail electric-railway system.



No. 889,448. v PATENTED mm 5,1908.

3'. P, FBELEY.

THIRD RAIL ELECTRIC? RAILWAY SYSTEM.

' APPLICATION FILED JULY 16, 1907.

INVENTOR r {dam 4M a/zizfiw/wwjizgk g ATTORNEY srariis JOHN FRANCIS FEELEY, OF lSIGTIh iBER, MQNTANA.

THIRD-RAIL ELECTRZC-RAILWAY No. ceases.

Bigtimber, county of Sweet Grass, and State of Montana, have invented a certain new useful 1m revement in Third-Rail Electrio-Railway bystems, of which the following is'a'specifieation.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in third rail electric railway systems, and has for its object to provide an exceedingly sim le and effective construction by which t e third rail will be housed against accumulation of snow and protected from rain and hail and at the same time insulated from the road bed as well as being protected against contact with persons or animals crossing the road. I

With these ends in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

in order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction in detail, referring by letterto the accompanying drawing form ing a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective of a portion of a road bed showing in improved third rail applied thereto, and-Big. 2, an enlarged section of the housing showing a layer of rub ber located upon the top thereof, and a metal roof superimposed upon said rubber.

Incarrying out my invention as here embodied, A represents the railway ties upon which is supported the metal strip B, the latter being secured to the ties in any suitable manner, as by spikes or the like, and to this strip is secured the housing C which has an enlarged base and 'a continuous undercut groove or channel throughout its entire length forming an overhanging roof,' and this housing is made of wood or other nonconducting material and has secured within the groove upon the underside of the roof the third rail D in such manner as to fully protect said third rail from the elements and to from contact with surrounding objects.

Specificationmf Letters Patent. Application flled..l'uly 1c, 1907. Serial No. sssooa V Patented June 53, 199@.

E represents a trolley wheel adapted to run upon the underside of the third rail, and this wheel is journaled upon the stationary shaft F, the latter being securedin-the sliding post J so as to be carried into or out of 'contact with the third rail by any suitable mechanism located within the motor car and under the control of the inotormarn. l

K re resents a lever' which passes throu 'hflfi s the sli ing post and has attached thereto the so "coiled spring L by which the post is normally drawn upward so as to keep the trolley wheel in spring contact with the third rail. I

in Fig. 2 l have shown the roof of the a covering of sheet metal M, such as tin, and this covering may be insulated from the roof by a layer of rubber or other suitable insulating material N.

In ractice the housing suitable lengths, the ends being matched toether so as to forin a continuous channel in which the third rail is located.

Having thus fully described my invention,- what I claim as new and useful, is

In a third rail system, a metal strip forming the base, a housing of wood com osed of a vertical part having an enlarged aseFsbcured to said strip and an overhangingrooi of substantial semi-circular form, rail having a convex top face to register with and secured to the highest point of the can cave under face of said roof, screws extendi ii 1 through said third rail and partially into said roof, a strip of rubber of semi-circular orese -e5 section secured on top of said roof and astrip of sheet metal of semi-circular cross-section secured on top of said strip of rubber, said rubber serving as an insulating medium between said serews and third rail and said 90 stri of sheet metal, the sides of said roof ex-s tenr ing downwardly so as to almost completely inclose said third rail;

in testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature inthe presence of two 95 subscribing witnesses. C

- JOHN FRANCIS FEELEY.

Witnesses: I

JOHN WATT,

Gitsnnr H. Her-Venn.

housing protected against wearand tear by may be made in a third 

